A Sunderland family had a nerve-wracking experience when their beloved pet dog got his head stuck in a metal fence, leading to a dramatic rescue operation.
Cocker spaniel Indi, named after iconic action hero Indiana Jones, found himself in a bit of bother when the friendly pup put his head through the garden fence to greet passers-by. Owner Emma Brown from Houghton-le-Spring had just returned from a family walk with Indi and her two children, nine-year-old son Oliver and daughter Rose, four, when the scary incident occurred.
A concerned neighbour banged on the family’s door to alert them to Indi’s predicament - and seeing that the poor dog was choking himself in a panicked attempt to escape, Emma, 35, quickly called the fire brigade. Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service crews arrived and ended up having to cut through the railings around Indi’s head.
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The pooch was then taken to a nearby vets and put under anaesthetic so that the remaining part of the metal fence could be cut away safely. The rescue took over two hours - and is just the latest in eight-year-old Indi's series of adventures that would be sure to impress his fictional namesake.
“I could write a book about all of Indi’s misgivings as he likes nothing more than to go on doggy adventures around the estate,” Emma said. “He’s even got a girlfriend a few doors down.
“At first I just thought it was Indi being Indi, and he’d got into one of his little scrapes. But when I actually realised he was really stuck, pure panic set in,” the loving owner admitted. “It was quite scary. I was thinking the worst could happen.”
Kevin Williams, manager for Green Watch at Rainton Bridge Community Fire Station, praised the quick thinking of the firefighters as he said of the rescue: “When a pet like Indi becomes stuck and distressed in the manner in which he was, we have to make the welfare of the animal our paramount concern and at the same time trying to reassure the owner of his safety.”
He added: “We can’t attend every animal rescue so the RSPCA should be your first port of call. But if we’re nearby and available, we will be on hand to help.”
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